How to Buy an Acoustic Guitar

Assuming you have never picked up a guitar in your life or you are a rookie guitar player, all the different brands and styles can be overwhelming. But if you follow my Rookiesguitar guideline you will hopefully find a guitar that suits your style and wallet.

1. Budget

Don’t spend a lot of money on your first guitar! Please. If you are loaded then do what you want. Otherwise, I recommend taking it easy on the first leg of your journey to “Guitar Heaven”. What if you don’t like playing the acoustic? You can only find out by trying. And if you decide for a different instrument then you can sell it, hide it around your house, use it as a travel guitar and not worry about the little money you spend on it. Your wallet will love you for that. Ideally, spend around 200 american on your beginner guitar.

2. Body size

Are you an adult, kid, man or woman, left-handed, right-handed or center-handed?

You have to find a guitar body that fits your body. Otherwise, you won’t get pleasure from playing your guitar and it might discourage the curious rookie guitarplayer in you. Even though I’m an online shopping aficionado, I recommend going to your local guitar shop and trying out all the guitars there.

What should you look for? How does the neck of the guitar feel in your hand? How does the body of your guitar feel in your lap, over your dominant leg? Little people or kids should ask for the 3/4 or 1/2 sized guitars. Ladies, there are comfort-tailored guitars out there made by Luna Guitars that have been designed to be more suitable for women. They look gorgeous as well! Action, the height of the strings from the guitar neck! For beginners its easier if you don’t need to use a lot of force when you press down on the strings. And if you’re worried about being a pest and bothering the staff at your local guitar shop, I’m sure they are willing to help you out. That’s why they’re there. And if you do find your guitar, look for it online. Prices are always better and Amazon ships incredibly fast now-a-days, #1 online retailer.

3. Brands

Different people have different opinions and there is no correct answer here. What if you are thinking of Fender or Yamaha already? Well, you can get a good brand below 200USD, even a nice beginner acoustic guitar kit. Some brands look different, some have different colors and designs. So do your fair share of research and feel free to check out Rookies Guitar collection as well.

4. Strings

You should know about the gauge of the strings. A set of strings for your rookie guitar has a gauge designation and you should make sure your strings are the thinnest size possible for your style of guitar. The thicker the gauge, the more tension is needed and the harder it will be to press down on the strings. Even if the action is good on your guitar! A beginner guitar player should use strings between .010 and .012.

5. Tuning technician

Now this is an interesting aspect that should come together with the purchase of a guitar. Unfortunately, every reputable guitar technician will charge for his time and you might choose to skip this step. A guitar technician will ask for about 100USD for a simple tuneup and this might very well be the price of your newly bought rookie guitar.

So why am I not stopping to write about this subject? Why would your new guitar need tuneup? Because its made of wood and if you buy it online, who knows how its being shipped. A musical instrument made out of wood needs a controlled environment so that it doesn’t get out of shape or warped. And overseas transportation might not be so delicate to your rookie guitar. And even if you buy your guitar from your local guitar shop, you don’t know how long it was sitting there and if it was treated correctly. So a visit to the doctor is not bad, it just depends if you want to take this extra step. Again, its not necessary. Its like when you wash your car. Are you gonna wax it or is soap and water enough?